hurt my heel running

catinamess
catinamess Posts: 68 Member
edited November 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
I'm doing couch to 5k and can finally run 20 minutes. It's a slow run, but I've managed to hurt my foot, in the middle of my heel. Is it best to stop running until it's no longer painful? If so, any idea how long that will take to heal?

Replies

  • alekth
    alekth Posts: 33 Member
    Generally you should never grit your teeth and continue an activity if there is pain. Soreness - yes, but not pain. Give it a couple of days to see if it goes away, and if not - do visit a physician.
    Also, if the heel trauma resulted from repeated stress on the heel during running, you should be looking into changing your running gait - hitting the ground with the whole foot/slight emphasis on the front of the foot during a slow run, and more towards the toes the faster you go. You don't really want to be hitting the ground with your heel even if your running shoes have a decent buffer for it.

    If you want to keep your legs active during the running downtime, look for and try out some exercises that don't put too much load on your heels - so probably not squats, but maybe calf raises/lunges.
  • catinamess
    catinamess Posts: 68 Member
    Thank you for the tips! Will keep an eye out on the pain and if it subsides I'll see what part of the foot usually hits the floor. Can't say I've noticed it before!
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